Believed
to be from
Chodsko, Lhota
area (Blahnik Pocket) before 1880. Photo from 2011
Reunion.

At this point we
are aware of two, probably three brothers who came to Medford, Taylor, WI
in about 1880 and appear in the census. The name is misspelled as "Blacknick"
for all three men.Jacob and Joseph are clearly brothers and are living together.
Frank appears to also be related since he was living a few houses away
and they all worked in the Saw Mill. The families moved to Ashland, WI,
Gogebic MI, Ohio and California. In Gogebic, MI is where the fourth
Blahnik (Mary) appears to have lived with the other Blahnik families. Her
father, John, was born about 1855 and her immigration record said she was
joining her Uncles in MI. Since we know Jacob and Joseph were brothers and
Joseph was living in Gogebec, MI, we can safely believe that Jacob
(b.1845-1855), Joseph (b. 1863) and John (b 1855) are indeed brothers.

Additionally, the
family of the Canadian Blahnik family
(Agnes Hallama) knew the Mary Blahnik Swaiger, daughter of Mary Halama and John
Blahnik (1855).

We have the name
of Frank's parents and if he is also a brother as we strongly suspect, then all 4 men were the sons of John Blahnik and Maggie (Salis) Schlais born
approximately 1825 in Austria Bohemia.

Family tree
these 4 Blahnik immigrants above.
As of 10/17/2014 (Jan) John does not appear to be a brother

1-Jakob Blahnik
born
Bet. 1845 - 1855 Bohemia to Bef. 1892 probably Wisconsin. He immigrated in
about 1880 by estimate.
Jakob married Katherine (Kate) Marek or Moreck 1855 Bohemia- 1959 probably
Wisconsin. In the 1880 census he was living with his brother Joseph
(below)
Family researchers include Mary (Ann) Blahnik, Sue Dorn, Kim Andexinger.

2-
Joseph
Blahnik born January 05, 1864 in Bohemia (possibly Chodsko Lhota area) -
October 14, 1940 Santa Cruz, CA.
Joseph married Elizabeth (Lizzie) Schurager/Schwerger Swainger September 05,
1892 Bessemer, Gogebic, Michigan. She died 1964 in Ashland, WI. Joseph
immigrated in about 1880 and was naturalized 1893. In the 1880 census he was
living with his brother Jakob (above). 1910 census has him listed as a
Retail dealer and the 1930 census has him as Proprietor: Pool Room.
Family Researcher Thomas Blahnik

3-Frank
Blahnik born December 12, 1850 in Austria (Bohemia) and died December 04,
1899 in Ashland, WI. He married Josephine Voselka Wodselko. She was
born in Czech abut 1848 and died April 1895 in Wisconsin. He was the son
of John Blahnik and Maggie Salis of Czech. Frank appears in the 1880
census for Medford, Taylor Co, WI and was employed in a Saw Mill. Family
Researcher Joe Chvala

4- James
Blahnik born abt 1879 in Bohemia married Antonia (unknown at this time) on
July 2, 1901 in Ashland, WI or more likely Bohemia. They appear in the
1920 Ashland, WI Census with their children, Rosie (1907) Nellie (1910), Edward
(1917) and Agnes Blahnik (1919). In the 1920 census James (could be
Wenzel) his wife Antonia and their oldest daughter Rosie - are said to have been
born in Bohemia.

The Blahnik brothers listed at the top were
also from the Chodsko, Lhota area and had family living in Bessemer, Gogebic,
MI. This suggests a connection but nothing definitive has been discovered
yet.

John Blahnik
born 5/22/1852 at Chodsko Lhota 98 near Domazlice and married to Mary Halama. Their daughter,
Mary, born 1879 in Chodsko, Lhota 98 on Dec 18/1878
and immigrated to NY July 27, 1900. There is no
evidence that John and Mary came to America but they are listed on her marriage
certificate. She married Anton (Swagher Sveigher Schvaiger) Swainger in
1902 at Bessemer, Gogebic, MI.

Jakob was shown in the 1880
census in Medford, Taylor, WI with his wife, Kate, and children Frank and Anton. This
would have been shortly after he immigrated to America. He
also lives with his brother Joseph and a brother in law named Joseph "Schlais".
This would suggest that Kate's last name would be Schlais but there is also
information about a Katherine Marek that makes things confusing. Census
records are not always accurate and at this point, the information suggests
Jakob's wife was Katherine or Katie Marek.

-The date of Jakob's death
has not been found yet but we do know that his wife married John Mikulesky on
March 3, 1892 in Medford, Taylor Co, WI.

per Wisconsin Marriages,
1836-1930. She was recorded as Katie Blahnik with the parents of Jacob and Mary Marek. Per
Wisconsin Marriages, 1836-1930

J

ohn and Katie had a son
named Emil Mikalesky in March 1893. It is unclear if John died before 1900
or if the couple divorced. In 1900 and 1910 she is listed as widowed, but
1905 says divorced. Divorce was uncommon back then so widowed is probably the
fact.

-In 1900
Taylor Co, WI Census Katie 'Blaknik' (Marek) (7/1856) is
listed as widowed and living in Deer Creek & Browning Towns, Taylor
Wisconsin in the census. She had her youngest daughter Mary (1887) and Emil 'Blaknik'
(Mikulesky) (1893) living with her.

It is not clear why Emil went by Mikulesky in 1893 but Blahnik in 1900.
Katie indicated she had 6 children and they were all living. It is not
clear when John Mikulesky died and why Katie would be using the name Blahnik
again. This could have been a census collection error.

-In the

1900 Ashland, WI CensusKatie and
Jacob's daughter, Anna, is living with Katie (Schlais) Blahnik (Frank)
on Stuntz Street in Ashland, WI. She was 15 years old listed as a 'border'
and attending school. Frank Blahnik may have been Anne's uncle, so this
may be why she was able to also attend school and live in a boarding house.
There is, however, some confusion here about whether
Frank and Katie are still married since
Katie is listed as divorced.

Blahnik (born 1864) appears in the 1880 census
for Medford, Taylor County, WI. He is listed as the brother of Jacob and
living with his family during this time. They both worked in the Sawmill.
He must have immigrated just prior to the 1880 census since this was the year
Joseph gave for his year of immigration in the
1910 Ashland, WI Census.

Anton (Swagher Sveigher Schvaiger) Swainger
who married Mary Blahnik, daughter of John shown
below. Elizabeth and Anton Swainger both lived in Bessemer, Gogebic, MI.
Lizzie indicated her immigration year as 1884 in the 1910 Ashland Census

Their oldest child, Joseph, was born in 1893
but died in 1899. Sebastian Blahnik also notes that Joseph was naturalized
as a US Citizen in 1893.

shows Joseph and his family living on Second Street. They have 6 children
and Mary Schlis is living with them as a servant. Sometimes new immigrants
would find housing and work as a servant when they first arrived to this
country. Joseph was working as a Retail Dealer for a liquor store in
Ashland. .

In the 1930 census for Ashland, WI,
Joseph is listed as a Proprietor of a Pool Room.

The next documentation found for Joseph
Blahnik was for his death on Oct 14, 1940 in Santa Cruz, CA. His son Frank
Joseph Blahnik would also come to California. Joseph's wife, Lizzie
Swainger, returned to Ashland, WI where she died in 1964

In 1935, Joseph's son Frank (b. 1896)
was involved in a car accident in Marinette, MI the weekend of April 20-21 per
the Daily Globe in Ironwood, MI. According to Frank's WWI draft
Registration he was tall and had dark brown hair and brown eyes. Frank
worked as a Bar Tender.

In 1905 Frank lived at 200 Stuntz Ave,
Ashland, WI. This is the same address that (his Uncle?)
Frank Blahnik (born 1850)was living at
in 1900. It was a boarding house and Frank (b 1850) was a saloon keeper
and Hotel Keeper there.

Joseph and Lizzie's son Vance (Vencl)
lived in Ashland in the census records for 1920 and 1930. He was with his
parents in 1930 and worked for the Rail Roadand would have been 32 years old.
Sometime in the 1930's Vance married Gladys Flynn. His WWI draft
registration says he had brown eyes and Black hair. He died in 1972 and is
buried at Saint Agnes Cemetery, Ashland Co, WI.

Joseph and Lizzie's daughter Bessie A. Blahnik was born in
Ashland, WI but married Padley Elmer Carlston in 1921 Bessemer, Gogebic, MI.
The oldest daughter Bettie was born in Wisconsin in 1923 but by 1928 they were
in Tennessee where Shirley was born. The family then shows up in the 1930
census in Ajo, Pima, Arizona.

Mary Blahnik was born in
Lhota (probably Chodesko, Lhota) in 1879. She i

mmigrated:
July 27, 1900 on Grosser Kurfurst from Bremen to
NY. She was 21 years old, her occupation was servant,
and she was traveling to Bessemer, Gogebic, MI to join her Uncles. Joseph
1864-1940 and his wife

Elizabeth (Lizzie) Schurager/Schweiger/ Swainger. We
know that Joseph and Jakob are brothers as this is documented in 1880 Census.
John would then be their brother and quite likely,
Frank (1850)is also their brother.

Anton Swagher was listed as
being a miner for his occupation on his death record February 10, 1911 in
Bessemer, Gogebic, MI.

In the 1930 Bessemer,
Gogebic, MI census, Anna Blahnik
Schwaiger was widowed and living with her daughter, Anna.
Anna would have been about 24 years old.

In 1934 Anna's son Anton J.
Schweiger married Leone Lesco. Anton was employed as a meat-cutter at this
time during the Depression. In 1938 Mary is living with her son and his
family at the address of 313 E. Mary St. Bessemer, Gogebic, MI. Anton was
working as a Painter. Another city director for Bessemer in 1947 shows
Mary still living with her son Anton. By this time Anton had secured a job as a
clerk at. Sears Roebuck Co. in Ironwood, MI. No death record has been
found yet for Mary's death.

According to the
1880 Medford, Taylor, WI, Frank
was living by the brothers Jacob and Joseph. He worked in the sawmill with
them and also moved on to Ashland with them. If he is their brother, as we
suspect, he would have been the first of this family to immigrate.
According to the 1900 Ashland Census, Frank immigrated in 1870 while other
records suggest the 2 brothers immigrated in 1880. It would make sense
that the two new immigrant brothers (Joseph and Jacob) would come to Medford and
get houseing near their relative and work in the same place.

Frank was born December 12, 1850 in Austria
Bohemia. He was the son of John Blahnik and Maggie (Salis)
Schlais. We can assume his parents were born approximately 1825.
Frank immigrated to America in 1870 and was in Medford, WI in 1880 working in a
sawmill and living with his wife Josephine Voselka Wodselko. She
was born about 1848 in Bohemia. It is not clear whether this couple
married in Wisconsin or in their home country.

Frank and Josephine are only known to have had one child,
Annie A. Blahnik born September 10, 1883. Josephine died April
1895 when Annie was only 11 years old. The next record we find is a
marriage for Frank on September 7, 1895 to Katie Schlais in Ashland, WI.
(Wisconsin Marriages, 1836-1930) Katie is listed as
the daughter of Joseph Salis and Mureck (Moreck? ).

This is where things become a bit confusing. By 1900
Frank appears in the 1st 1900
Ashland census and is listed as single and operating a hotel and Saloon.
He and Katie Blahnik are listed as the head of the home on 200 Stuntz Ave.
Katie is listed as running this property as a boarding house, but she is also
'widowed'. Frank's daughter Annie born 1883 is living there and
listed as 'daughter'. This would suggest that the Katie Blahnik is the
Katie Schlais that Frank married in 1895. Frank was recorded elsewhere as
having died Dec 4, 1899 in Ashland. Katie probably gave the census
information. Since Frank was dead, she would have been widowed.
Perhaps after she listed her daughter , Annie (1883) she listed Frank as
the father, not necessarily meaning he was still alive. The census for
1900 in Ashland seems to be poorly organized since there were two census visits
to 200 Stuntz Avenue and the people in the boarding house varies.